About Time
by Angelic Guardian
Summary: Jess' recipe for winning back Nick consists of cupcakes, a cute dress and a long overdue confession. Oneshot.


**Author's Note:** An overwhelming amount of people wanted to see a follow-up to my fic, Sunshine, and a few specifically requested that I write an M-rated Ness fic, so here it is. Enjoy! ;)

 **Disclaimer:** New Girl © Elizabeth Meriwether

* * *

It had been a few weeks since Nick returned from New Orleans after his breakup with Reagan, and the dynamics of the loft had quickly settled into a comfortable status quo. Schmidt and Cece were adjusting well to married life, Winston was the happiest he'd ever been now that he was dating Aly and, as for Jess, she'd decided she was going to tell Nick she was still in love with him. Easy.

Well, not exactly.

Now that Nick was home, Jess discovered she couldn't act normal around him no matter what she did. There was a lot of fidgeting and laughing over nothing and making awkward attempts to alleviate the thickening tension between the two of them. The other night, they were on the couch together, watching TV, when out of nowhere she reached out and laid her hand on top of his chest for no reason at all. It was like the time he'd randomly cupped her upper boob, and it didn't help the situation when she'd pointed that out to him. He only gave her a befuddled look, prompting her to remove her hand and sink down into the couch while burying her burning face in her hair.

She didn't know why it was so hard. Everyone, including Reagan, had told her that Nick was still in love with her, too, so really all she had to do was tell him how she felt, and he'd take her back with open arms. After all, he'd come home early because he'd missed her, so that alone had to mean he still loved her, right? She knew she'd never know for sure until she finally told him how she felt about him, and she knew she had to do it before it was too late. If she was going to tell him, she was going to do it right. She would let him know that this time, she was not only all in, but that she wanted to be with him for the rest of her life.

And there was no time to waste.

Waking up bright and early one morning, Jess put herself to work in the kitchen, where she spent a good hour diligently baking. She now stood at the counter, frosting the last of the dozen cupcakes she'd made, barely so much as glancing up when she heard one of her roommates walk in.

"Morning, Schmidt."

Schmidt strolled over to the cupcakes, eyes narrowing suspiciously, until he snapped his head up and asked, point-blank, "Who are you planning to seduce?"

Jess nearly dropped her cake decorating tool. "What?"

"Who, Ms. Jessica Day," Schmidt said, "are you planning to seduce with these scrumptious, sensual little desserts the common man calls red velvet cupcakes?"

"I'm not trying to seduce anyone."

"They're for Nick, aren't they?"

Jess blinked, startled for a second. Schmidt already knew about her feelings for Nick, so there was no point in hiding it, right?

"Fine, yes, they are," she said, to which Schmidt gasped, loudly and dramatically, and her cheeks flared with instant regret and undeniable embarrassment. "Shut up, Schmidt!"

As she tried to swat away the index finger he was now pointing at her, the exchange managed to awaken the normally heavy sleeper, Cece, who emerged from her husband's bedroom, wearing his blue kimono.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Jess is baking Nick _sex cupcakes,"_ Schmidt said.

"They're just regular cupcakes!" Jess said, but her words fell on deaf ears as Cece gasped, loudly and dramatically, leaving her with no choice but to give up on trying to downplay what a big deal this clearly was.

"Oh, my god, Jess, I'm so excited that you're _finally_ going to tell him," her best friend said. "I hear wedding bells!"

"Here comes the bride!" Schmidt said.

"Okay, seriously, I know you're two happy newlyweds, but you need to get a hold of yourselves right now," Jess said.

The two of them simply grinned at her like a couple of idiots when Winston walked in.

"How's a man supposed to spoon with the love of his life and his beautiful, perfect girlfriend with all this racket going on?"

"Wait, are you saying your cat is the love of your life?" Cece asked.

"That is deeply concerning, Winston," Schmidt said.

"Aly's the _human_ love of my life, okay?" Winston said. "What's up with all these cupcakes?"

"Jess is baking them for Nick," Cece said with a sly grin.

"Wow," Winston said, evidently having all the information he needed to be up to speed. "Good for you, Jess. After all, it's true what they say. The way to a man's heart is through his—"

"Underpants!" Schmidt said enthusiastically, only for the confident smile on his face to fade as he looked around at everyone's disapproving gazes. "His—his underpants?"

"No, honey," Cece said with a sympathetic shake of her head.

"So, when are you going to tell him?" Winston asked.

"Better yet, _how_ are you going to tell him?" Cece asked.

"If you want, we could do a test run," Schmidt said. "I've been practicing my Nick voice."

"Ooh, I gotta hear this," Winston said.

"Look," Jess said, silencing all of them, "I appreciate that you guys are all super excited for me, but right now I really need you all to hook that excitement and reel it in because Nick could wake up any second and I'm already nervous as it—"

"Morning."

All four of them snapped their heads to Nick.

"Whoa," he said with a flinch. "That was freaky. How'd you guys synchronize your heads like that? Seriously, did you plan that? It was really weird. Impressive, but weird."

No one said anything, their eyes simply following Nick as he joined them in the kitchen, only for him to grow fed up.

"Okay, why is everybody staring at me?" he asked, dragging a hand across his cheek. "Did somebody draw a penis on my face?"

 _"That's_ where your brain immediately goes?" Schmidt asked, genuinely concerned.

Nick shrugged, his gaze landing on the cupcakes. "Hey, who made these? Jess?"

All eyes now snapped to the girl in question, who stood there for a moment in a sort of daze, staring at Nick, while at the same time knowing everyone was now staring at her. Feeling wary about what she was about to say, she refused to let herself chicken out, and she took a deep breath.

"Yeah, actually, I made them for you, Nick."

A noticeable silence followed as Schmidt, Cece and Winston watched, totally engrossed in what was happening between Nick and Jess, the latter of whom wanted nothing more than to shoot them all a death glare. The thought was soon forgotten, though, as Nick picked up a cupcake.

"Well, okay. I'm not gonna argue with that. Thanks, Jess," he said. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to get into my pants."

Jess' eyes shot open wide, while Winston raised his brows, Cece covered her mouth with her hands and Schmidt simply gave a pompous "see, I told you" look.

"I'm just kidding," Nick said, biting into the cupcake.

Jess silently breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a relaxed grin spread over her face. She really was getting herself worked up over nothing. It didn't have to be so hard. _Just tell him._

"Hey, Nick?" she said.

He turned, a glob of frosting on his mouth, and her pulse jumped with a sudden urge to lick the frosting right off. _Oh, boy. Easy there, Day._

"Do you want to…do something today?" she asked, and she internally winced at her less than eloquent word choice. It didn't seem to matter to Nick, though, as he simply shrugged.

"Yeah, sure," he said. "But, whatever it is, please, for the love of god, don't make me go to the arts and crafts store with you. If I have to spend another afternoon picking out tiny pom poms, I swear I might as well cut off my—"

"Language, Nicholas!" Schmidt said.

Nick blinked, brows furrowed, only to shake his head.

"I promise, no arts and crafts," Jess said. "I'll go get changed, meet you in five?"

With a thumbs up, Nick headed for his room. Once he was out of sight, Jess' smile dropped, and panic set in with the troublesome realization that she literally had no plan whatsoever.

"So," Cece said, breaking the silence, "you're going to _do something_ with him today, hmm? By do something, I take it you meant each other?"

"Whoa! Up top, my darling," Schmidt said, holding up his palm, which Cece slapped.

"You two really are not helping," Jess said.

"Jess, allow me to recycle an old nugget of brilliant advice I once gave you," Schmidt said, ready to implement a rare moment of age-old wisdom. "Do you really think Nick wants a whole flashy production in which you profess your love for him in skywriting? No. That kind of stuff makes him sweaty and apprehensive."

"What's your point, Schmidt?" Jess asked impatiently.

"My point is, don't overthink it," Schmidt said.

"I agree. Nick definitely wants to bone you, so just go for broke and tell him already, Day."

Everyone shot their attention to Aly, who'd apparently shown up at some point during this whole discussion. Jess, Cece and Schmidt all looked mildly freaked out, while Winston gave her a really big smile, wrapping an arm around her. Cece leaned her head against Schmidt's shoulder, and he kissed the top of her head. They all looked so happy. Jess wanted that—the closeness, the intimacy, the love—and she only wanted it with Nick.

She realized it was about time she did something about it.

* * *

Dressed in a blue sundress with red flowers, Jess stood in front of Nick's bedroom door, elbow raised, about to knock, when Nick opened the door. They both froze, staring at one another, Jess' eyes looking even bluer with the dress she was wearing.

"Wow," Nick finally said. "You look beautiful."

A smile formed across Jess' face so fast she couldn't even make the attempt to fight it if she wanted to, which, honestly, she didn't. It filled her with confidence. _Just tell him._

"Thanks," she said. "Listen, before we do anything, there's something I've been wanting to tell you for a while, and I'm worried if I don't tell you now, I never will, and then I'll miss my chance forever, so I need you to please hear me out, and I promise I'll respect whatever you decide to do. Okay?"

"Okay," Nick said without hesitation. "Shoot, Jess."

"Okay," Jess said, and suddenly the weight of what she was about to say crashed down on her like a brick through a window, the glass shards representing her feelings, all over the ground, waiting to be picked up. She sighed softly. There was no backing down now, and with that in mind, she forced herself to stop thinking, and at last, she spit out the confession that had been building up for a long time now. Throwing all caution to the wind, she told him, with all the truth in her heart, "I've never stopped loving you, Nick."

There was a flicker in his eyes, and a movement in his throat, both small yet tangible signs that indicated to Jess that her words had a profound impact on him.

"I know we're exes who are still friends who live together and date other people," she said, not pausing to think about how unique their relationship truly was, "but, at the end of the day, I know in my heart that I'm never going to love anyone the way I love you. And, sure, you drive me crazy sometimes, and I obviously do the same for you, but you're also the one person I can count on for absolutely anything, and I hope you know I'd do anything for you, too. I can't picture my life without you, and I never want to, because honestly, I'm just so freaking in love with you I want to sing it out to the world. And if you're over it and just want to stay friends, I'll understand, but I just need you to know how much you mean to me—"

Nick crushed his mouth to hers, and her reaction was instantaneous. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back with sheer fervor, her nerves blazing to life. She was only vaguely aware of him pulling her inside and kicking his bedroom door shut as she felt his hands on her waist, then around her back, sliding over every inch of her body, as though he couldn't get enough of her. It was like the very first time he kissed her, only now, there was even more passion, more intensity, more emotion. It was everything.

Abruptly, Nick broke the kiss, panting, "I'm sorry—I didn't mean to cut you off."

"No, it's fine," Jess said, equally out of breath. "That was pretty much the gist."

"Okay, cool," Nick said, and his lips were back on hers, this time prying open her mouth with his tongue, which she eagerly accepted. Their tongues swirled as their bodies pressed together, the moment growing steamier by the second, until Nick pulled away from her again. "For the record, I'm in love with you, too. Not sure if that was clear."

"Yeah, no, I think I got that," Jess said, and their lips fused together once more.

It was ironic now when she thought about how she'd always wanted Nick to express his feelings, when in reality, he'd proven to her, time and again, that he'd never stopped loving her, either. He showed it when he'd selflessly gotten off his plane at Christmastime just so she could be with her then-boyfriend. He showed it when he'd comforted her after her breakup with that same boyfriend by telling her how the only thing that mattered was that the guy was there for her when she needed him. He showed it when he, too, had secretly gone to take their sex mug out of the garbage can, because even though they'd agreed on a clean break, neither one of them could truly let each other go. He showed it when he gave her the helmet his dad had given him, a cherished childhood possession, proving how much she meant to him.

They temporarily parted for some much-needed air. A gentle grin found its way to Jess' lips, and Nick's expression mirrored hers with a tender smile of his own.

"I love you, Nick."

"I love you, too, Jess."

The words were simple, yet there was so much meaning behind them that her heart burst with absolute joy. Jess placed her palm against Nick's cheek, and this time, they both leaned in slowly, savoring the moment when their lips met and everything else ceased to exist. His lips were amazing, soft yet firm, and oh, my _god,_ how she missed this, how she missed _him._

As he took her bottom lip into his mouth, Jess let out a moan, and the moment took off from there. Nick picked her up, the way he'd done many times in the past, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, the way she'd done many times as well. She could feel his arousal prodding her, fueling her own desire. She rubbed her hips against him, making him moan in return, deep and guttural. Her heart flipped as he pressed a strong hand against her back and lowered her to his bed. Her legs automatically spread, allowing him to settle comfortably between them as he tore his lips from hers, only to press his mouth against the hollow of her throat, eliciting a gasp from her.

She ran her fingers through his hair, before letting her hands travel to the back of his neck, where she tugged at his shirt collar. Knowing what she wanted, he drew back from her and sat up, peeling his t-shirt over his head and throwing it on the floor. Her eyes darkened as she took in the alluring sight of his upper body.

While she may not have been like Nick, who'd fallen in love with her the moment she'd walked through the door, what she did know was how undeniably attracted to him she'd been right off the bat. He had a manly ruggedness to him that turned her on like nothing else. Now, bringing her hands to his chest, she ran her palms down the length of his body, directly over the bulge in his jeans. He shuddered from the contact, but he soon relaxed and let her work his belt off of him, only to stop her before she could undo his pants altogether.

"Not so fast, Jessica," he said, and the way he said her full name in that gruff voice of his, full of authority, made her entire body tingle. "You're wearing far too much clothing."

Grasping her by the hand, he yanked her up off the bed and released her long enough to bring his hand to her back and tug down the zipper of her dress. He then took a moment to take off his shoes, while she pulled down her dress and kicked off her flats. Feeling particularly bold and naughty, she decided to remove her underwear along with her dress. When both items of clothing hit the ground, Nick froze. The way he looked at her in that moment was unlike the way he ever looked at anyone else, a blend of raw hunger coupled with intense longing. Her heart raced in anticipation, as she knew the look on his face was a precursor for the passion to come.

"Is this naked enough for you, Miller?" she asked flirtatiously, placing her hands on her bare hips. His glazed expression didn't waver, so she took the incentive and brought a hand to her back, where she unclasped her bra, sliding it off her shoulders and letting it fall gracefully to the floor. She took a step closer to him and wound her arms around the back of his neck, pressing her body flush against him. She felt the way his body instantly responded to her, the twitch of his erection, yet still she asked, practically purring in his ear, "What about now?"

"Fuck, Jess," Nick said in a full-on _growl,_ and with that, he descended on her, kissing her madly. She wasted no time in jumping into his arms, wrapping her legs tightly around him. He groaned and shuffled toward his bed once more. They fell against the mattress together, their lips moving heatedly, when Nick suddenly broke the kiss and dipped his head, taking one of her breasts into his mouth. His tongue flicked out, swirling against her nipple, and she moaned at the feeling of his deft tongue working its magic over her.

 _"Yes,_ Nick," she breathed, closing her eyes as he lightly sucked on her sensitive flesh, only to snap her eyes back open when Nick slid a finger inside her. Her muscles contracted around him, and he responded by adding a second finger, gliding both of them back and forth along the walls of her wet entrance. He increased his speed, pumping his fingers in and out of her, all the while he teased her breasts, alternating between kissing and sucking on her skin. It wasn't until the pads of his fingers brushed her clit, circling hard, that she finally lost it, her body writhing as she cried out in ecstasy.

Nick didn't stop sliding his fingers in and out of her as she rode out the waves of her orgasm. She panted harshly, dropping her gaze to see a smug grin flash across his face. Despite everything, she found herself grinning back, open-mouthed, too high on euphoria to call him out on his cockiness, because, in all honesty, he had every right to gloat. They both knew nobody could pleasure her like he could. Now, it was time for her to return the favor.

Grabbing the back of his head, she tugged him to her, kissing him hard. He immediately groaned against her mouth, unable to do anything but return the fervent, dizzying kiss. She managed to sit up and get him on his back, straddling him, grinding against his erection. The hiss of pleasure he made against her lips was sensual music to her ears. With her hands splayed on his chest, she drew back, the both of them panting heavily now, and this time, she was the one to flash a mischievous smirk, at last unbuttoning his jeans.

"No pants allowed on the sex express," she said.

"Sex express?" Nick said, breaking into a chuckle. "I like that."

"Well, then, hop aboard, captain," Jess said with a sultry wink.

"I think you mean conductor," Nick said. "Unless it's a sex ship—"

"Seriously, Nick?" Jess asked in a bout of sheer sexual frustration.

"Right, sorry."

Jess slid off of him to give him room, propping herself on her knees as Nick removed his pants without further delay. He promptly took her in his arms and kissed her again, while she took that opportunity to slip her hand inside his boxers, firmly grasping his erection. He moaned, biting down on her bottom lip, and she moaned right back, the vibration sending a wonderful shiver down her spine.

She tightened her grip around his thick shaft and stroked him in a steady pace, swiping her thumb over the head. He cupped one of her breasts, brushing his thumb over her hardened nipple and circling it slowly. The intimacy of his delicate touch, combined with the sound of his increasingly ragged breathing, were enough to drive her crazy, encouraging her to pump faster. She felt him throbbing in her palm, begging for release, and she never wanted him more than she did right at that very moment.

"Nick," she said, a pleading whimper.

The smoldering look he gave her made her heart tremble with excitement as she withdrew her hand, and he at last shed himself of his boxers. Her pupils immediately swelled at the sight of him. Naked Nick. She definitely missed naked Nick. He grabbed a condom from his nightstand and tore it open, rolling it onto his length with impressive dexterity. At that point, she was more than ready to climb on top of him, the way she usually did, but Nick seemed to have other plans as he placed a firm hand on her shoulder, stopping her before she could do anything.

"What are you—"

"Just relax," he said, and the sound of his voice alone, dripping with utter lust, nearly made her convulse right then and there.

He gently lowered her to the bed, and all she could do was relax as she was told as he bent his head, placing a kiss on her stomach. He kissed his way down her abdomen, trailing closer and closer to her wet center, when suddenly he dipped his tongue inside her, and her hips jerked as a rush of searing pleasure shot through her veins. He gave her a slow, tantalizing lick, sweeping his tongue over her swollen clit. She immediately arched her back and released a breathless cry. As his tongue plunged in deeper, lapping at her folds, he slipped a finger inside her, roughly pumping it back and forth against her slick walls. Her breathing grew erratic as he stroked faster and faster while feverishly sucking on her clit, and finally she curled her toes and cried out as she exploded, pleasure surging through her entire body.

Her legs fell limp as she panted hard, her heart pounding away. Nick withdrew from her, the shine on his lips making her all the more flushed and breathless. As her body calmed down, he grasped her thighs, positioning himself at her entrance. He caught her gaze, and a seductive grin played at her lips, letting him know she was more than ready. They never took their eyes off each other as he sank into her, filling her inch by inch. She moaned the moment he began rocking against her, slowly at first, sliding in and out at a leisurely pace, adding more and more force behind each thrust he made.

As his pace built, they lost themselves in each other, the friction escalating between them. Jess lifted her hips to meet his quickening thrusts, and Nick tightened his hold on her as she dug her hands into his back. One of his hands slipped between their bodies, and she sucked in a sharp breath when she felt the pressure of his fingers pressing down on her clit. Her muscles clenched around him as he furiously rubbed her clit in time with his now relentless thrusts, their breathing harsh and labored. The sensations hit Jess all at once as she came undone and let out a lusty cry, her body rupturing in the most intense orgasm she'd ever experienced.

Moments later, Nick followed her, grunting loudly as he found his release. He dropped his head to her shoulder, panting against her neck, and Jess cradled him in her arms as their breathing gradually evened out. She brought up her hands, lightly raking her fingers through his hair, communicating her boundless love for him with the affectionate gesture.

"Well," she said, "that was easily the best to date for me."

Nick lifted his head to meet her gaze. He didn't say anything. Instead, he simply took her face in his hands, brushing aside her bangs, before he leaned down and kissed her forehead. Jess beamed up at him, brighter than all the stars in the night sky. She loved him so much, and to feel that love in return was the greatest feeling in the entire universe.

A knock at the door pulled them out of their post-coital bliss.

"FYI, there's some celebratory peach mango smoothies waiting for the two of you when you're done fornicating," Schmidt said. "You're welcome."

Nick and Jess looked at each other, shining with sweat, hair a mess, broad grins stretching across their faces. It was them, here, now and until the end. Whatever challenges awaited them in the future, they'd get through them together. Jess knew now more than ever that no matter what happened, their love would always triumph, and she wouldn't want it any other way.


End file.
